2018 Cash Game Festival Tallinn II
Day 1 Completed
2018 Cash Game Festival Tallinn II
2018 Cash Game Festival Tallinn II
Day: 1
Jogioja Making it Rain on Day 1 of the Cash Game Festival Tallinn
The Cash Game Festival Tallinn at Olympic Park Casino is off to an amazing start with tons of poker action and an electrifying buzz throughout the poker room.
During much of the night, there were seven tables in action with games running in no-limit hold'em, pot-limit Omaha, and Sviten Special.
The festival kicked off with welcome drinks at 6 p.m. EEST with many of the Cash Game Festival regulars and online qualifiers from 32Red Poker, Unibet Poker, betsafe Poker, and Olybet poker enjoying a few drinks together.
Many players couldn't wait to get into the action with four tables running by the end of the welcome drinks ceremony.
As will be the case throughout the festival, today featured two televised feature tables on the Cash Game Festival Twitch channel and embedded in our coverage. Cash Game Festival Commentator Christin Maemets was the host with several guest hosts joining her including Ryan "Metalface" Davey.
The first televised feature table was a unique one with bartenders around Tallinn competing it out in €1/€1 no-limit hold'em. The drinks were flowing and for a change, the bartenders weren't the ones serving them. Oliver Florea was the biggest winner shipping a profit of €204 or 204 big blinds. He barely edged out the €198 won by Taavo Raag.
Although any win was nice, it was extremely unlikely that Florea would be in contention for the Cash Game Festival Tallinn trophy awarded to the player that wins the most big blinds at any of the 10 feature tables this festival. However, Florea still was awarded a special-edition trophy for the biggest winner of the first-ever barmen feature table.
The later feature table was an action table with the stakes changed to €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha. Two-time Cash Game Festival trophy winners Kevin Malone and Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk were both hoping for a big win.
Malone was able to manage a decent win of €1,726. Usually winning 853 big blinds would be enough to not only be the biggest winner at the feature table but also have people wondering if he would also win the Cash Game Festival trophy.
However, Malone was trumped by Estonia's Rain Jogioja after he pulled out a win of €1,845 or 922.5 big blinds.
Jogioja credited both luck and timing for his big win.
"I got a bit lucky early on, especially with garbage hands," shared Jogioga to PokerNews. "Then I won a huge hand calling off a bluff by Franke to put myself in good position to be the biggest winner at the table."
Tomorrow the action is expected to be even bigger both on an away from the tables. The day starts relatively early for those with the hospitality package with bowling. PokerNews was informed to be ready for a surprise at the bowling event.
Stay tuned at PokerNews as we reported the action with four more exciting days still yet to come.
Photos compliments of Harry Tiits/Cash Game Festival.
Rain Making it Rain
Rain Jogioja made it rain on the late feature table booking a profit of €1,845 (922.5 big blinds) at the €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha table. This puts him in an excellent position for the Cash Game Festival Tallinn trophy, which will be awarded to the player that wins the most big blinds on any of the 10 feature tables.
Two-time Cash Game Festival trophy winner Kevin Malone wasn't too far behind after booking a profit of €1,726.
Stay tuned for the recap of Day 1 of the Cash Game Festival Tallinn.
Taure Taimre Wins a Gold Lighter
The festival will be handing out prizes throughout the festival. One lucky winner was Taure Taimre who won a huge gold bar style lighter.
This isn't the type of lighter that one can carry around in his or her pocket. However, Taimre was thrilled about winning it and it will be more than just a mantlepiece.
"I enjoy smoking shisha at home," shared Taimre.
PLO Feature Table Photos
Photos of the PLO feature table courtesy of Harry Tiits/Cash Game Festival.
Mr. Vilson in the House
Aigars Dambrans, otherwise known as Mr. Vilson, has attended many Cash Game Festivals in the past. The journey for this one wasn't as far as he lives only a four-hour drive away in the Latvian capital of Riga.
Dambrans gave his greetings to his "CGF family" before hopping onto the Sviten Special table.
Former Trophy Winners Malone and Von Zweigbergk Battle it Out
The late €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha feature table has just kicked off and it is likely to be epic.
Cash Game Festival Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk (Seat 2) and Kevin Malone (Seat 4) both previously won two Cash Game Festival trophies and are battling it out with six other hopefuls.
Ryan "Metalface" Davey (Seat 1), who was just in the commentary booth, is out to prove to his fans he can also play as well as he analyzes.
Finland's Tapio Marjanen (Seat 3) is also a Cash Game Festival regular after attending several festivals in Tallinn in the past. He shared his goal was to "drink and have fun."
Norway's Christopher Andresen (Seat 5) qualified to the festival through Cash Game Festival partner Unibet Poker, while Cash Game Festival regular Rain Jogioja from Estonia is sitting next to him in Seat 6.
Cash Game Festival legend Edgars Armans is one seat over in Seat 7. His legendary status is due to winning the most Cash Game Festival packages at 32Red Poker in the history of the festival.
Rounding off the table is another Cash Game Festival regular, Rikard Relander, who is known to have fun and try to gamble it up.
Photos From Day 1
Here is a look at some of the photos from Day 1 of the Cash Game Festival Tallinn.
Photos c/o Harry Tiits/Cash Game Festival.
Florea Edges Out Raag
The €1/€1 no-limit hold'em barmen feature table has ended and Oliver Florea was the biggest winner shipping a profit of €204 or 204 big blinds. He barely edged out the €198 won by Taavo Raag.
The next feature table will be an action one with two-time Cash Game Festival trophy winners Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk and Kevin Malone battling it out with others. We will have the full line-up and a little bit about each player shortly.
Metalface in the Booth
Ryan "Metalface" Davey has attended many Cash Game Festival but had plans during some of the more recent ones.
He is back in attendance today with his wife and has joined Christin Maemets in the commentary booth. We will also see Metalface on the feature table later tonight when the game changes to €2/€2 pot-limit Omaha.
He shared with PokerNews he will buy his wife shoes if he covers the expenses for the trip and a little extra money afterward as the duo are here on what many Cash Game Festival regular refer to a "poker vacation."